Getoptintargc

Getoptintargc is a term used to describe a wrapper or utility pattern for parsing command-line options directly from a program’s argc and argv parameters. In this approach, a single function processes the standard argument vector while producing a structured representation of parsed options, leaving the traditional argc/argv interface intact.

Typical design and usage

A getoptintargc-like function accepts the usual argument vector and an option specification (often similar to the POSIX optstring) and fills an output structure with the results. The function advances internal state comparable to the conventional getopt mechanisms and may update an index such as optind to indicate the position of the first non-option argument. It returns a status code indicating success or various error conditions (for example, an unknown option or a missing required argument). The exact behavior and supported features (short options, long options, required versus optional arguments) depend on the particular implementation.

Data representation

The associated output structure commonly includes:

- A set of flags indicating which options were provided.

- Strings or tokens capturing option arguments.

- A collection of remaining positional arguments after option processing.

This representation aims to simplify downstream handling by consolidating parsed data in a single, typed object.

Relation to standard getopt

Getoptintargc builds on the same parsing concepts as the standard getopt family but emphasizes returning a cohesive data structure rather than only advancing indices or printing messages. It can offer a more convenient pattern for integrating command-line parsing into applications that prefer structured results over low-level iteration.

Limitations

As with many wrappers, portability and behavior depend on the specific library or project. It is not a universally standardized interface, so documentation and consistency vary between implementations. See also: getopt, getopt_long, and higher-level argument parsing libraries.